Why Fernando Alonso "didn't get away" with Russian GP corner cutting

Alonso, Alpine, Russia — Photo: © LAT Images

Russian Grand Prix

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Why Alonso "didn't get away" with Russian GP corner cutting

Alonso took to the escape road on his laps to the grid and on the formation lap

Sam Hall

Friday 1 October 2021 10:35

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FIA race director Michael Masi has explained Fernando Alonso broke no rules when the Alpine driver exploited the turn two run-off at the Sochi Autodrom during Sunday's Russian Grand Prix.

Following the Austrian GP earlier this year, Alonso was vocal when a number of drivers retained positions when taking to the run-off on the opening lap, classed as gaining a lasting advantage.

Declaring he felt "a little bit stupid" for following F1's rules, Alonso hinted he would follow suit next time, which is exactly what happened in Russia.

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Running seventh into turn two, Alonso negotiated the sausage kerbs and polystyrene bollards to return to the track third although his loss of momentum and battle with Lance Stroll saw him drop back to sixth.

Despite the apparent advantage gained, Masi explained: “No, he didn’t get away with it.

"If you have a look and understand, and I’ve said this a few times and the teams are well and truly aware of this, on the first couple of turns of any race, if there are areas like that then drivers should get back behind the driver they entered the corner behind which Fernando did very quickly.

“As did the other three drivers that went off there. They all got back behind the driver that they entered the corner behind.

“Since 2019 at Le Castellet, it was a request of the drivers overall, I said I am more than happy after Sergio Perez was penalised cutting from turns three to five and gaining a number of positions.

“We said from that point forward, at the first couple of corners where that happens, either the team automatically tells the driver to give the position back or I would suggest that they reposition."

Insistent that no loophole or grey area in the rules had been exploited, Masi confirmed all instances of running wide had been looked at in race control.

“We looked at all four of those that went off on Sunday, and all four did exactly that,” stated Masi.